Early Computed Tomography Findings of Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pneumonia

Background: Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is highly contagious and threatens human health. Chest computed tomography (CT) is an accurate imaging modality for diagnosis and follow-up. Objectives: To investigate early CT features of COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: Retrospective study. Sixty-three patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (28 men, 35 women; age range, 21 - 85 years; mean, 59 years) confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were enrolled in this retrospective study and CT findings were evaluated. Patients were classified into three groups for estimating COVID-19 pneumonia, according to CT features. Results: Nineteen (30%) patients classified as out of COVID-19 pneumonia had normal CT findings. Twenty-eight (44%) patients, classified as highly suggestive for COVID-19 pneumonia, had typical findings for COVID-19 pneumonia. In highly suggestive for COVID-19 pneumonia group most common CT features were peripheral (64%), multilobar (96%), patchy, and round (54%) ground-glass opacity (GGO) (57%). Air bronchogram (93%), crazy-paving patterns (79%), and vascular thickening (61%) were the most common special findings. We only detected these rare findings such as halo sign, reverse halo sign, lymphadenopathy, pleural and pericardial effusion, pleural thickening, and fibrotic lines in patients with COVID-19 with chronic diseases. Conclusions: The early CT findings are peripheral, multilobar, patchy, and round ground glass opacities accompanied by vascular thickening, crazy-paving pattern, or air bronchogram sign. Rare findings are only seen in the presence of concomitant diseases.